
SALT LAKE—The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands held its annual Utah Forest Products Industry meetings this week in Richfield and Heber City. The meetings discussed challenges impacting the industry in Utah and presented available financial and technical assistance to encourage wood utilization.
“Our objective in hosting these meetings is to provide information to the industry via presentations and workshops that focus on economic development strategies within the forest products sector,” said Bergen Eskildsen, the Forest Products and Business Program Manager for FFSL. “Increased communication and coordination between industry members, land management partners, economic development representatives, and local elected officials will continue as we convene annually and meet with partners throughout the year.”
Utah has hosted meetings for four years, and this year, over the two meetings, it has engaged with over 130 individuals from across the state.
Speakers at the meetings included representatives from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, USDA Rural Development, USDA Forest Service and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity.
Funding presentations at this year’s meetings included the Timber Production Guaranteed Loan Program and Wood Innovations Grant funding opportunities. Both of these programs are offered through the USDA.
Attendees also participated in breakout sessions, where they engaged with officials and expressed concerns and challenges faced by the wood products industry in Utah.
The annual Utah Forest Products Industry meetings are part of Utah Shared Stewardship, which supports cross-boundary hazardous fuels reduction work throughout the state and aims to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires to communities and watersheds.
Utah Shared Stewardship coordinates with federal, state, tribal and private partners to achieve its mission of conducting the right work and at the right scale.
For those interested in learning more about the Forest Products and Business Program in Utah, please visit ffsl.utah.gov/forestry.